Cafe Kestrel
Restaurant · Red Hook ·
Grilled swordfish, sausage, apricot cake, cafe salads
Grilled swordfish, sausage, apricot cake, cafe salads
"Fried halloumi ($15) arrives as two golden, Lincoln‑log batons—mozzarella‑stick in silhouette but their own thing—lightly fried and finished with a little honey and a lot of piment d’espelette. The salty‑sweet, creamy‑crunchy interplay is addictive, and when our server told us diners sometimes order them as dessert, it made complete sense." - Nadia Chaudhury
"In snug Red Hook, this bistro from Dennis Spina taps a desire for familiar ease: the menu rotates, but staples like roasted chicken, sautéed fish, and stovetop mac and cheese stay put. The goal isn’t to feel fancy so much as to offer a delicious, simple meal, and the intimacy of the space—where guests brush up against one another a bit—adds a festive pull." - Korsha Wilson
"Café Kestrel occupies a diminutive space in Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood, but what is lacks in size it more than makes up for with thoughtful culinary executions and warm, refined service. At once casual and elegant, the tightly edited menu sports French leaning, pan-European selections with small bites like baguettes and chilled shrimp to larger terrines, salads and a broad list of entrées. Many dishes become instant favorites, as in the sage-infused fried halloumi served over honey Main dishes include duck leg confit with rich, creamy rutabaga puree and candied kumquats or a seafood terrine with crème fraîche and crispy, golden gaufrettes. Dessert is non-negotiable, especially the apricot cake with caramel sauce." - Michelin Inspector
"Cafe Kestrel is a (barely) 20-seat restaurant that feels like it could only ever exist in Red Hook. The all-white restaurant on Van Brunt Street has a sign out front that states the hours “for now,” a martini simply named the V. Cold Martini, and a constantly revolving menu that might feature swordfish slick with anchovy butter, and always features a sharp, rich, saucy mac and cheese. Come for an unserious night in a precious little room, and if it happens to be a Sunday evening, order the curry." - willa moore, hannah albertine
"Like many things in Red Hook, Cafe Kestrel feels like one of those places that could only ever exist in that neighborhood. The dollhouse-sized spot on Van Brunt Street has white-tiled floors, white lace curtains, dainty plates on white tablecloths, and servers in white chore coats who will tell you that Sunday night is curry night in an excited whisper." - molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah